Posen will try and keep Palmer next year

POSEN – After asking school staff for their feedback, Posen Consolidated Schools board members have agreed they’d like to keep interim Superintendent John Palmer for another year.

At their meeting Monday, board members opted to wait until June 17 to formally ask Palmer to stay on through the 2013-14 school year. He’s been serving the district part-time since Dru Milliron left in March to take another job. Each board member said they’d heard largely positive feedback about Palmer from teachers, staff and parents.

“I have not heard one negative thing about him,” board member Anna Soik said.

Now, a committee consisting of board President Ken Wozniak and members Andy Stone and Brian Konieczny will meet with Palmer over the next few weeks, Wozniak said. They’ll work out the terms of his future employment, and should have a contract ready in June.

Keeping Palmer makes sense, as it will provide some continuity for the district, Wozniak said.

“He was there for a few months and did a good job,” he said. “We felt it was best to keep him on for an additional year.”

If Palmer stays on for another year, it would also help the district find another superintendent, Wozniak said.

Palmer currently is splitting his time between Posen and Vanderbilt Area Schools, Wozniak said. After his job with Vanderbilt ends on June 30, he’ll be available to work for Posen full-time. It’s one of the many details to be discussed in the coming weeks.

For his part, Palmer is happy the board asked him to come back in the first place, he said. He served as interim superintendent for the district six years ago, staying on for a while to train Milliron. From there, he went to Vanderbilt for a six-month stint that turned into six years.

“I have a tendency to go places and stick around for a while,” he said. “By doing it that way, you have a tendency to be successful in what you’re doing.”

Palmer is honored to be the administrator for Posen, he said, adding the district has great kids and supportive parents. When asked if he’d stay on another year, he had a few different replies. At first, he said he’d have to think about it.

“Would I do it to help them out? Absolutely,” he said. “It’s a great little district.”